LaGRANGE, Ga. - LaGrange celebrated Senior Day by holding off Huntingdon 10-7 on Saturday afternoon at Cleaveland Field in Williamson Stadium. The win completed a three-game sweep by the Panthers (18-21, 10-8 CCS) over the Hawks (18-18, 7-11 CCS) in their CCS series to conclude the regular season.

The Panthers honored 11 seniors and had a special recognition in pre-game ceremonies. Adam Dorn, Ben Epperley, Nash Evans, Hunter Garcia, Riley George, Caden Hare, Nick Morgan, Tray Owens, Noah Preuer, Eli Selby, and David Smigelski played their final home game. In addition, the late Stephen Bartolotta and Jacob Brown were recognized. The pair died in a car accident their freshman season in 2022 and their memory has lived on with this senior class.

The Panthers had 17 more hits in the game, finishing the series with 52. As a team, they are batting .348. For the weekend, George had eight hits, scored four runs, and had eight RBIs. Junior shortstop Jackson McElvey had nine hits, including two triples, scored seven runs, and drove in six. Junior catcher Carson Burgamy had eight hits, scored seven runs, and had three RBIs. Defensively on Saturday, Burgamy threw out a runner on stolen base attempt and picked off two base runner. 

Preuer was a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate in the game, scoring two runs and driving in three. Owens had a double and triple included in his three hits, scored twice and had an RBI.

The Panthers put up three runs in the second inning to open the scoring. Owens' had his RBI triple in the inning and scored on Preuer's base hit. LC made it 8-0 with a five-run fourth inning. Preuer had a two-run single and Jorge Fragoso's two-out hit plated the final three runs of the inning.

LC upped the lead to 10-0 in the sixth inning with two more runs. McElvey drove in the second run with a triple. The Panthers headed to the seventh needing three outs to run-rule the Hawks for the second time.

Huntingdon rallied, scoring seven runs against two Panther relievers to make it 10-7. In the ninth, the Hawks opened the inning with back-to-back hits off reliever Chandler Walker, the eighth pitcher of the game for the Panthers. George fielded Robbie Gallagher's slow roller to third, fired the ball to Dorn at second, who threw to Selby at first to complete the fourth double play of the game for the Panthers. Walker then retired Mikael Bryant on a grounder to Dorn to end the game.

Hare (2-1) picked up the win, pitching 1-1/3 innings without giving up a run. Walker earned his first save of the season.

Up Next: The Panthers play in the CCS Championship Tournament, beginning Wednesday, April 30.